EUROPEAN POLITICS

Jonathan Harris specializes in Russian politics, while Ron Linden and Ilya Prizel specialize in what used to be known as “East” Europe, but which is now part of a fascinating “New” Europe. All three are concerned with both domestic and international politics as they affect Russia, Ukraine, and the various countries within Eastern Europe.

Guy Peters and Alberta Sbragia specialize in Western Europe. Professor Peters pays particular attention to national politics and public administration in Scandinavia as well as the relationship between national administrations and the European Union. Alberta Sbragia is concerned with Italian politics, the European Union, and comparative regional integration.

Peters and Sbragia place their work on Europe in an inter-regional, comparative context. Peters compares Europe to Canada and Australia, and Sbragia compares the evolution of regional integration in Europe with that in North America (NAFTA), Latin America (Mercosur), and Asia (ASEAN+3). While Harris, Linden, and Prizel contribute to the study of both comparative politics and international relations, Peters and Sbragia work in the subfield of comparative politics.

European Politics at the Undergraduate Level

Undergraduate course offerings are broad and students can learn a great deal about Russia and Europe, both east and west. Many majors pursue a Certificate in Russian and East European Studies, West European Studies, or European Union Studies. Students also often have the opportunity to participate in Model EU and Model NATO simulations, present research papers at an annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, and accompany faculty on research trips to Europe.

European Politics at the Graduate Level

The University of Pittsburgh’s offerings in European politics are distinctive in that they provide historical depth, particularly in the area of nationalism, an examination of how international organizations such as the EU and NATO are shaping contemporary politics and policy in both east and west Europe, how Russian politics is evolving, and how policy and administrative structures are changing as governments examine how they can best control public finances, deliver services and intervene in the economy.

Although students will specialize, it is expected that they will become familiar with the politics of Europe broadly defined. Departmental resources are significantly augmented by the existence within the University Center for International Studies of a Center for Russian and East European Studies, a European Studies Center, and the European Union Center of Excellence. The European Union Studies Association (EUSA) is headquartered at Pitt.

The collections in Hillman Library benefit from two bibliographers—one specializing in European Union Studies and another in Russian and East European Studies. It is a depository library for both the EU and the UN, and the Virtual Library Web sites for both West Europe and Russia and East Europe are also at Pitt, as is the Archive of European Integration. The library is known for its electronic resources, allowing students to study Europe, both east and west, with remarkable facility. These resources attract students from both West and East Europe to study European politics within the department. Such students in turn create a diverse and challenging intellectual environment in which excellent graduate research flourishes.

The faculty’s research draws on both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and is particularly sensitive to the relationship between international influences (such as the European Union) and national politics and policy. Students are encouraged to pursue their own interests, draw on the expertise of faculty in other areas of the department (for example, in the area of public opinion), and to pursue certificates in Russian and East European Studies, West European Studies, or European Union Studies. Students are able to draw on research funds for the study of European integration as well as compete for fellowships that allow them to improve their language skills. Finally, they are supported in going to conferences to deliver papers.

Our program is relatively small, allowing faculty and students to work together closely. Our faculty co-author with graduate students, and in general mentor them in a way that encourages professional development.

Our students have been successful in competing for dissertation fellowships—they have been awarded Fulbright, German Academic Exchange (DAAD), IREX, European Union Studies Association (EUSA), and Chateaubriand grants. They have also been very successful in competitions for post-doctoral fellowships, including those given by the Smithsonian’s Woodrow Wilson Center, the European University Institute in Florence, Columbia University, and New York University. They have gone on to publish their revised dissertations with such prestigious presses as Oxford University Press, and the most recent EUSA Prize for the Best Dissertation on European Integration was awarded to a graduate of our program. Our placement record is very good, with recent graduates now teaching in tenure-track positions at American University, Hofstra, SUNY-Brockport, and the University of Long Island in the United States; and Newcastle-on-Tyne, Essex, Bristol, and Goldsmiths in Great Britain.

Students interested in studying European politics in a challenging but warm intellectual environment will find our program to be a good match. The small size of the program, the unusual accessibility of distinguished senior faculty, the resources of three internationally recognized centers, a library distinguished by both its quality and its user-friendliness, and the attractions of Pittsburgh as a city all help students carry out excellent research n the field of European politics.

More information on the graduate program can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook.